Reading cover letters and resumes [Archive] - Beastie Boys Message Board

Dorothy Wood

03-31-2010, 06:42 PM

Well, thanks for taking the time to look at it, anyway.

But seriously: Are those things under "other interests"? How are they presented?

well, the website was given along with the contact info, and the record producing was under experience. the other stuff was under "interests"...but I guess my point is it's too casual. this isn't some major job or anything, but keep it simple and to the point. the only things I want to know is level of experience and information relating to the potential position. it's not a dating profile.

when I get home, I'm totally going to stalk the top contenders on facebook. :cool:

hpdrifter

03-31-2010, 06:56 PM

Oooooh, I've seen some doozies in my day lemme tell ya. In the last two years I've probably reviewed almost 300 resumes and cover letters for different positions. I'll see your spell correctly and leave your personal crap off and raise you:

* Don't request a salary that is significantly higher than your current. If you do, provide an explanation for why you think you deserve a $20,000 a year raise.

* Make your formatting consistent, if you're using bullets use bullets, if numbers, use numbers. But for the love of Pete don't create some unholy bastardized combination thereof that is so dense I can't tell what goes with what.

* Don't submit a resume to a job that is out of state and not explain that you're planning to relocate or you're available via phone or something.

* Use the correct fucking job title and company name in your cover letter idiots! I am not hiring for a project assistant!

* If your work experience is in a completely different field and not even remotely applicable to the open position please explain to me (and draw clear lines for) why you are goddamn interested and why I should even consider your 5 years in retail ass.

And don't even get me started on what not to do in the interview!!!

Burnout18

03-31-2010, 07:04 PM

My favorite is the Email addresses such as "seximama12@oal.com" really? really? you couldnt make a semi professional email address before sending your shit in.

I get a lot of emails that simply read "Hello i can help ur company out, plz reply back if interested" - sent via blackberry. No resume attached, nothing. Amazing.

Also not that this is a big deal, but i sometimes get the same person responding to three different job descriptions. But I guess thats not so bad, a sign of the times really.

Kid Presentable

03-31-2010, 07:34 PM

A god-botherer submitted an email application from 'JCLuva1982' it was hilarious

hpdrifter

03-31-2010, 07:57 PM

I've also noticed this disturbing trend of salesman-y language in cover letters. "Do you need an independent self-starter who can get things done? I'm the right person for you!" Someone actually used all caps once. I was like, WHY ARE YOU YELLING AT ME?

And just use the old fashioned way of structuring your shit, people. Put your employment history followed by the duties you performed. If you really want to you can put a short bulleted summary of your key competencies at the top, I probably won't give a shit but do what you gotta do. But I can't make heads or tails of some of these new formats where they summarize pertinent skills in one section and list previous jobs in another. It just makes you look like you are trying to cover up the fact that you don't have enough experience.

Also, INCLUDE DATES OF EMPLOYMENT! Do not leave a massive gap in your work history and not explain in your cover letter that you had a baby or went back to school or got thrown in prison* or whatever.

* This is a joke, hpdrifter does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, sexual preference, HIV status or criminal history (among other things).

Dorothy Wood

03-31-2010, 07:58 PM

Oooooh, I've seen some doozies in my day lemme tell ya. In the last two years I've probably reviewed almost 300 resumes and cover letters for different positions. I'll see your spell correctly and leave your personal crap off and raise you:

* Make your formatting consistent, if you're using bullets use bullets, if numbers, use numbers. But for the love of Pete don't create some unholy basterdized combination thereof that is so dense I can't tell what goes with what.

* If your work experience is in a completely different field and not even remotely applicable to the open position please explain to me (and draw clear lines) for why you are goddamn interested and why I should even consider your 5 years in retail ass.

hear hear!

(even though my ass is in retail)

I got a little put off by a guy who started his email cover letter with , "dear sir". It dropped him into the "maybe" category instead of the "yes" category. I wrote the ad, and my female coworker and I are the ones deciding who gets interviewed. Too bad, so sad, my little freelance photographer from Santa Fe who now lives a few houses down from my last apartment.

Bob

03-31-2010, 07:59 PM

Also, INCLUDE DATES OF EMPLOYMENT! Do not leave a massive gap in your work history and not explain in your cover letter that you had a baby or went back to school or got thrown in prison* or whatever.

* This is a joke, hpdrifter does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, sexual preference, HIV status or criminal history (among other things).

what if the explanation is "i've been looking for work for 10 months but nobody will hire me because i have no experience and if you'd please take a chance and hire me i'll be eternally grateful (ps i'll do it for cheap)"

hpdrifter

03-31-2010, 08:02 PM

what if the explanation is "i've been looking for work for 10 months but nobody will hire me because i have no experience and if you'd please take a chance and hire me i'll be eternally grateful (ps i'll do it for cheap)"

You have to think of a way to spin it. You can do it, you're a lawyer!

Actually, the best suggestion for this is, if you can't find a job, start volunteering your lawyering skills. I know it sucks but it'll get you some experience and keep you up on the latest in your field. And people will like that you're eager enough to do that.

Bob

03-31-2010, 08:04 PM

what if i've decided that i don't want to be a lawyer anymore and would rather work in a mailroom or something

Echewta

03-31-2010, 08:06 PM

Back in the early 90s, I made a resume with my picture on it. Thank goodness that was a great idea for about 10 minutes.

hpdrifter

03-31-2010, 08:12 PM

what if i've decided that i don't want to be a lawyer anymore and would rather work in a mailroom or something

Then leave the JD off your resume but explain in your cover letter (!) that you have one but you decided to pursue a different direction in your career. And when you're talking about the different direction make sure you say something about why you're excited to work in a mail room. You enjoy paper cuts or something.

hpdrifter

03-31-2010, 08:14 PM

Back in the early 90s, I made a resume with my picture on it. Thank goodness that was a great idea for about 10 minutes.

:mad:

Just because you look like Devon Sawa does not mean I will hire you.

Acutally I might, have you seen that picture of Devon Sawa?*

*This is also a joke, hpdrifter does not condone sexual harassment or favoritism based on looks under any circumstances.

Dorothy Wood

03-31-2010, 08:19 PM

when my aunt was visiting and I went downtown to meet her, she was conversing with a young man who was a drink server in the fancy hotel lobby where she was staying. turns out he was a lawyer.

see bob, there's hope!

have you tried temping? my roommate went to school for art, but now works in business and keeps getting raises and pushed up the ladder. all based on one temp job she started after getting sick of working at a bakery.

maybe when you write your cover letters, you should mention that you're one of the most popular guys on the bbmb!

hpdrifter

03-31-2010, 08:20 PM

Yeah, you can list me as a reference. But they have to post it as a thread here if they want my feedback.

Bob

03-31-2010, 08:27 PM

Then leave the JD off your resume but explain in your cover letter (!) that you have one but you decided to pursue a different direction in your career. And when you're talking about the different direction make sure you say something about why you're excited to work in a mail room. You enjoy paper cuts or something.

that's the tricky part. if i leave the JD off, i have to leave law school off, as well as the four legal and judicial internships that i did while in law school and if i leave all that off then my resume is about half a page. that's uh, kind of why i went to law school actually, people assured me that a JD would open all kinds of doors, even nonlawyer doors but it turns out that those people were either liars or idiots because it actually closes tons of nonlegal doors and i'm king idiot because a moderate amount of research would have revealed that

i've compromised by taking my bar admission off my resume for nonlegal jobs but i'm honestly puzzled about what to write in the cover letter for the "why i'm qualified/interested" stuff. i mean, the honest answer would be "i need money and am smarter than a rhesus monkey and am probably therefore in the top 10% of your applicant pool" but you can't write that, you need to talk about how you have experience that qualifies you to work in a mailroom

it's stupid

Dorothy Wood

03-31-2010, 08:36 PM

*This is also a joke, hpdrifter does not condone sexual harassment or favoritism based on looks under any circumstances.

You are a fair and benevolent hirer. I think a lot of people favor looks in the hiring process. Even if they don't mean to. I got hired partially because the people who worked here thought I was cute. My boss is gay though, and admittedly superficial. (which is why my coworker and I took over the selection process). He once hired a girl who was 20 minutes late for the interview. I was in the basement of the new store we were building, sawing stuff or whatever, and only caught a glimpse of her, but she was dressed verrry casually. He was all excited about her and said, "she reminds me of you, she practically had the same outfit on." and I was like, "I'm building things in a basement right now! not interviewing for a job!" and he was like, "well, she's cute, I like her, I'm hiring her."

a few weeks later she got fired because #1 all she did was complain, and #2, she fucked something up with an order and when the previous manager called her to ask her about it, she said, "it's my day off, I'd rather not think about that right now." and hung up. what a turd.

anyway, my point is, somebody should give Bob a job because he is smart and nice and not an asshole. even if it's fun to fire a jerk, they shouldn't get the chance to work in the first place. work jerk.

faz

03-31-2010, 08:38 PM

I was nosing at a job application at work the other day. The answer given to the question "how many days a week can you work" she replied "8"

Rodie

03-31-2010, 09:55 PM

that's the tricky part. if i leave the JD off, i have to leave law school off, as well as the four legal and judicial internships that i did while in law school and if i leave all that off then my resume is about half a page. that's uh, kind of why i went to law school actually, people assured me that a JD would open all kinds of doors, even nonlawyer doors but it turns out that those people were either liars or idiots because it actually closes tons of nonlegal doors and i'm king idiot because a moderate amount of research would have revealed that

i've compromised by taking my bar admission off my resume for nonlegal jobs but i'm honestly puzzled about what to write in the cover letter for the "why i'm qualified/interested" stuff. i mean, the honest answer would be "i need money and am smarter than a rhesus monkey and am probably therefore in the top 10% of your applicant pool" but you can't write that, you need to talk about how you have experience that qualifies you to work in a mailroom

it's stupid

Try not to get too down on yourself. I got my MBA back in December and shockingly enough I can't get a job. I've had a couple of interviews for positions I normally wouldn't even give a second look to (sales) and even those don't go anywhere (and no I didn't say "I normally wouldn't even give a second look to this position" in the interview). Have you looked into the census at all? They pay pretty decent ($13.25 an hour) where I'm at. It's not permanent but it'll give you some cash for the time being.

On topic - I hate doing cover letters. It's like you know I'm interested in the position because I submitted my resume which contains all the information you would want to know relating to my experiences and qualifications. It really gets old especially because they almost never get me anywhere. My resume and cover letter may be a bit boring but at least they are proofread and don't contain any weird links/irrelevant qualifications/tacky e-mail addresses.

QueenAdrock

03-31-2010, 11:14 PM

Let me tell you, there are a TON of engineers out there who CAN'T. WRITE. COVER LETTERS. WORTH. SHIT. I saw quite a few cover letters that said "I would like to submit myself for this position. Find my resume attached." and that's IT! Or, they would just praise the company: "I would love to work for Blah Blah Oil Company, because you are one of the top 10 companies to work for in Canada. Your revenue last year was $1.5 billion, which is impressive. I am sure you have superior management." Like, I get their thought process, but I keep telling them that they have to sell THEMSELVES and let the employer know why they are amazing. Write accomplishments, why you're qualified, what your career goals are, etc.

It's kind of like giving someone a choice of two gifts. One could be neatly packaged, clean, and tied up with a pretty bow, and the other could be wrapped in old newspapers used to clean up dog shit. Both packages could contain iPods, but no one's gonna choose the second one.

Bob

04-01-2010, 12:30 AM

Try not to get too down on yourself. I got my MBA back in December and shockingly enough I can't get a job. I've had a couple of interviews for positions I normally wouldn't even give a second look to (sales) and even those don't go anywhere (and no I didn't say "I normally wouldn't even give a second look to this position" in the interview). Have you looked into the census at all? They pay pretty decent ($13.25 an hour) where I'm at. It's not permanent but it'll give you some cash for the time being.

On topic - I hate doing cover letters. It's like you know I'm interested in the position because I submitted my resume which contains all the information you would want to know relating to my experiences and qualifications. It really gets old especially because they almost never get me anywhere. My resume and cover letter may be a bit boring but at least they are proofread and don't contain any weird links/irrelevant qualifications/tacky e-mail addresses.

yeah i'm looking into the census thing. i don't have a car though so i'm not sure if they'll want me. plus the idea of going door to door and asking people who were too lazy or unwilling to fill out a 10-second form for personal information sounds well completely miserable but fuck me, if they're hiring i really do need the money

QueenAdrock

04-01-2010, 12:52 AM

Brett did the census up here a few years back and I tagged along, it was actually pretty fun. You got to meet all your neighbors and walk around outside and see neighborhoods and places you normally wouldn't, and the weather was awesome at that time, too. DO EET

checkyourprez

04-01-2010, 12:59 AM

Try not to get too down on yourself. I got my MBA back in December and shockingly enough I can't get a job. I've had a couple of interviews for positions I normally wouldn't even give a second look to (sales) and even those don't go anywhere (and no I didn't say "I normally wouldn't even give a second look to this position" in the interview). Have you looked into the census at all? They pay pretty decent ($13.25 an hour) where I'm at. It's not permanent but it'll give you some cash for the time being.

On topic - I hate doing cover letters. It's like you know I'm interested in the position because I submitted my resume which contains all the information you would want to know relating to my experiences and qualifications. It really gets old especially because they almost never get me anywhere. My resume and cover letter may be a bit boring but at least they are proofread and don't contain any weird links/irrelevant qualifications/tacky e-mail addresses.

weird, the census people just called me today about doing it! $13.50 for me, plus $.50 per mile for driving. i took the test last February, like over a year ago, and they just called me for it.

jabumbo

04-01-2010, 09:51 AM

Let me tell you, there are a TON of engineers out there who CAN'T. WRITE. COVER LETTERS. WORTH. SHIT.

hey now! none of the jobs i have ever applied for requested/required cover letters, so i've never had to write one....

one time in a desperate attempt to keep me busy at work, they let me sift through a bunch of applications for a project secretary. as i leafed through them, i automatically took out anything that looked off with the formatting and such. then i felt a little bad when i was told that most of the apps were submitted on some email form that squeezed the margins on a lot of them...

i do recall some girl putting down that she was the homecoming princess at her county fair or something.

ms.peachy

04-01-2010, 11:45 AM

what the f is "alternative coffee brewing"

I would totally like to know the answer to this question.

Dorothy Wood

04-01-2010, 01:24 PM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghholt/sets/72157619267720416/

I guess it's just brewing coffee in as many ways you can. Most boring hobby ever.

I figured he was talking about drugs.

hpdrifter

04-01-2010, 02:09 PM

He once hired a girl who was 20 minutes late for the interview. I was in the basement of the new store we were building, sawing stuff or whatever, and only caught a glimpse of her, but she was dressed verrry casually. He was all excited about her and said, "she reminds me of you, she practically had the same outfit on." and I was like, "I'm building things in a basement right now! not interviewing for a job!" and he was like, "well, she's cute, I like her, I'm hiring her."

a few weeks later she got fired because #1 all she did was complain, and #2, she fucked something up with an order and when the previous manager called her to ask her about it, she said, "it's my day off, I'd rather not think about that right now." and hung up. what a turd.

:eek:

I cannot fathom this. Well, I guess you do consider looks to some extent. I mean if someone showed up dressed really inappropriately for the interview I'd probably count that as a strike against them. But mostly because it shows a lack of judgement. If they were dressed appropriately but just really unfortunate looking I don't think I'd care if they were smart and gave a good interview. Unless they had really bad breath. Coffee drinkers, take a breath mint before coming to an interview.

A guy showed up for an interview once about 20 minutes late. Despite our better judgement we decided to see him anyway and his interview was about what you would expect. He was like Owen Wilson in You, Me & Dupree.

hpdrifter

04-01-2010, 02:13 PM

Yeah, Bob and Rodie it's brutal out there. We hired most recently for a mid-level Administrative position and at least 30% of our applicants had Master's degrees. An equal number had peace corps experience and/or spoke 2-4 languages.

I worry sometimes that I would not be competitive for my own job were I to apply for it in this climate.

Anyway, I bring your attention back to volunteering. It'll give you experience that you currently lack and you'll probably have your pick of any company or department that you want to check out. You don't have to go full time. What do you have to lose, what else are you doing with your time?

Bob

04-01-2010, 03:41 PM

honestly even volunteering is pretty competitive. a lot of people have the same idea so legal aid organizations can kind of pick and choose who they want for free help - usually people with experience or some kind of demonstrated passion for the field, both of which i lack.

it's not a totally relevant anecdote but when i was in law school i applied for an unpaid internship at the DA's office and despite the fact that it was unpaid and that i was the only applicant i didn't get the job because she didn't think i was experienced enough

don't go to law school kids

abcdefz

04-01-2010, 03:42 PM

One of my best friends is about to go to law school. :(

jabumbo

04-01-2010, 05:02 PM

you should just show up and start working like kramer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKs6y9_d2ps) did, bob. walk about with a suit and a briefcase full of crackers. nobody will know the difference for a while.

Bob

04-01-2010, 05:18 PM

One of my best friends is about to go to law school. :(

which one? unless it's yale they're stupid, even harvard grads are graduating without jobs now

abcdefz

04-01-2010, 05:39 PM

His LSAT score wasn't so hot. He's been accepted to a school in Baltimore and his long shot is Syracuse.

cookiepuss

04-01-2010, 11:12 PM

Oh how I wish I could show you guys the photo that an applicant for a part-time administrative assistant emailed me with her resume.

she was a blonde leaning over a convertible sports car. No even really sexy. just weird.

:confused:

checkyourprez

04-02-2010, 12:21 AM

His LSAT score wasn't so hot. He's been accepted to a school in Baltimore and his long shot is Syracuse.

i have a buddy who goes to syracuse for law school. it would have been one of my choices. University of Buffalo was no.1, because it was close, and verrry cheap (yet still a good school) for law school, but because of that it was verrry competitive, and in all likely hood i would not have gotten in. so i just decided to get a masters. kind of glad i went that route, a lot less debt (im not trying to go to Cuse and leave a 150gs in the hole), and hopefully i'll have a job when im done! (sorry bob)

but there has to be tons of places out there that need lawyers. how is it possible to not be able to find a job in the field? every corporation in the world needs lawyers. a lot probably higher out, but a lot probably have their own teams i would think (but then again i dont really know and am totally speculating here).

are you so attached to boston you wouldnt leave? is it just because you dont want to pass the bar someplace else? combo?

Bob

04-02-2010, 12:47 AM

the example i like to use is the federal government. one of the most ball-bustingly frustrating things i hear from people in or considering law school is "i don't necessarily want to work for a big firm, i'm willing to settle for a government job or something" as though those are readily available, those are the jobs that the bottom feeders settle into if they can't make it into biglaw

according to usajobs.gov (http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/search.aspx?jbf571=10&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&sort=rv,-dtex&vw=b&re=134&caller=basic.aspx) there are, as of this moment, 182 jobs available in the field of "legal and claims examining" in the country. there are more than 182 law schools in this country, don't even bother thinking about the law students graduating from those schools each year. state government isn't really any better. according to mass.gov (https://jobs.hrd.state.ma.us/recruit/public/31100001/job/job_search_results.do?showStatus=false&searchPhrase=&companyId=&locationId=&functionCode=30&workSchedule=&mgtNonMgtType=Any&positionType=Any&search=Search), there are currently three (3) government jobs available in the state under the category of "legal" (and one of them isn't really a lawyer job). this is a glut, mind you, i check that site every damn day and there's usually 0 or 1. 2 if i'm lucky. 3 is what i'd call a goldmine only it's not because they're all asking for years of experience which is impossible to get because nobody is hiring inexperienced lawyers

the legal profession has utterly imploded and is going to take a long time to recover, if it ever does. firms and corporations and government agencies aren't hiring, they're laying people off. the few firms and corporations and government agencies that are hiring are generally asking for people with several years of relevant experience and even if you do manage to find a job posting that isn't asking for experience you're competing with literally hundreds of laid-off attorneys who have that experience so they're going to get preference over you.

one time i saw a job posting for a public defender position in barrow, alaska. barrow, alaska is located here (http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=barrow,+alaska&gbv=2&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Barrow,+North+Slope,+Alaska&ll=44.087585,-106.171875&spn=125.753499,360&z=2). it was up for maybe one week.

anyone who goes to law school now is a goddamn moron. a-z, punch your friend in the mouth until he promises he won't go, he'll thank you for it ultimately

abcdefz

04-02-2010, 01:27 AM

I don't think he'd listen to me, Bob. He's pretty much invested in this. I debate whether to copy and paste your advice. I think our friendship would end, frankly.

Bob

04-02-2010, 01:32 AM

I don't think he'd listen to me, Bob. He's pretty much invested in this. I debate whether to copy and paste your advice. I think our friendship would end, frankly.

it's a hard sell, i'll admit. you don't really realize how big of a scam law school is until you're about a year and a half deep and by then you're too invested to quit

the ultimate scam of law school though is that it really doesn't teach you to be a lawyer. i mean, you learn things about the law, and you learn how to do research and you learn how to learn the things about the law that you didn't learn in law school but as for the actual process of having a client with a problem and taking their case through filing paperwork and motions and negotiations and settlement and more paperwork and deadlines and motions and paperwork and forms and pretrial conferences and forms and motions and paperwork they don't even attempt to teach you that, you're expected to learn it on the job only whoops there aren't any. so if your plan is to go solo after law school you have some major major major googling to do

abcdefz

04-02-2010, 01:36 AM

I can't even get him to skip Clash of the Titans, let alone law school.

Bob

04-02-2010, 01:42 AM

it is such a hard sell though because when someone gets into law school it is kind of an exciting moment so if you try to talk them out of it they'll be like "i just got into law school, how dare you try to take this from me"

and this may sound elitist but i really truly don't think it's that much of an accomplishment for your average college grad to get into a law school. unless your gpa is garbage and you fill in the bubbles on the LSAT with your feces you're probably going to find some toilet law school that's going to accept you so long as the student loans come through

the catch with law school (or more appropriately, the legal profession) is that they don't weed you out before you apply, they weed you out after you graduate. compare it to something like med school, where med school is hard as shit to get into and graduate from and you really have to bust your butt to pass the MCAT and pass your classes and do your residency or whatever the hell it is that they make med students do, but at the end of it, if you make it through, you actually are qualified to be a doctor and you're probably going to get a job as one.

in law school though, you can get a crap LSAT and a crap GPA and get into a crap law school and get crap grades and still graduate and pass the bar and it's just "right, thanks for the cash, good luck out there" and then the real challenge starts. i feel like very few people going into law school are aware of this. i certainly was not

there's a joke: "what do you call a doctor who graduates at the bottom of his class? a doctor"

there should be another joke: "what do you call a lawyer who graduates at the bottom of his class? homeless"

abcdefz

04-02-2010, 01:54 AM

I'm really sorry, Bob.

If we're all homeless, maybe we can form a band.

jabumbo

04-02-2010, 08:38 AM

you should run for public office, bob.

start odd as small suburban council man, and work your way to mayor of boston!

checkyourprez

04-02-2010, 09:31 AM

Rodie

04-02-2010, 11:10 AM

Anyway, I bring your attention back to volunteering. It'll give you experience that you currently lack and you'll probably have your pick of any company or department that you want to check out. You don't have to go full time. What do you have to lose, what else are you doing with your time?

I've been volunteering with the school I got my AA from for a little over a year. They really like me there and always tell me how much I help them out. Back in October, one of the people there asked me when how school was going. I said I was graduating in December. She got really excited and told me about an open HR position that paid about 40,000. I said that would be great because that is exactly what I'm looking for (and it's true too). She said they would put in a good word for me and although couldn't guarantee that I would get it, at least was very hopeful I would at least get an interview. Which I never did. We were all disappointed. It's such a crazy time right now.

I agree though volunteering is a good way to spend your time and keeps you active. I also substitute teach which I enjoy (for the most part) and pays well enough to cover our few bills (thank God we live with my parents).

CYP have you looked into substitute teaching? I know where I'm at you only need an AA (you get paid $5 a day more if you have a Bachelor's). It's nice because it is flexible and the days are fairly short. It can be rough at times, but it's better than a lot of stuff available right now. Although with so many unemployed even substitute teaching is becoming competitive. My wife graduated with her teaching degree but it's become so competitive that because she hasn't actually held her own classroom they won't take her as a substitute right now. Still, it might be worth checking out.

hpdrifter

04-02-2010, 12:29 PM

Wow, that's actually something I never thought about with law school but I guess you're right. What was your undergrad in?

Well, I wish I had some better advice for you. I am in school now to taking pre-reqs to become a nurse which, I've heard, is a pretty much bulletproof profession these days. So if you have some science in your undergrad you could try that, most community colleges have programs (cheaper than university) and you could be an RN in 2-3 years. Ask Nicole about it.

checkyourprez

04-02-2010, 07:09 PM

I've been volunteering with the school I got my AA from for a little over a year. They really like me there and always tell me how much I help them out. Back in October, one of the people there asked me when how school was going. I said I was graduating in December. She got really excited and told me about an open HR position that paid about 40,000. I said that would be great because that is exactly what I'm looking for (and it's true too). She said they would put in a good word for me and although couldn't guarantee that I would get it, at least was very hopeful I would at least get an interview. Which I never did. We were all disappointed. It's such a crazy time right now.

I agree though volunteering is a good way to spend your time and keeps you active. I also substitute teach which I enjoy (for the most part) and pays well enough to cover our few bills (thank God we live with my parents).

CYP have you looked into substitute teaching? I know where I'm at you only need an AA (you get paid $5 a day more if you have a Bachelor's). It's nice because it is flexible and the days are fairly short. It can be rough at times, but it's better than a lot of stuff available right now. Although with so many unemployed even substitute teaching is becoming competitive. My wife graduated with her teaching degree but it's become so competitive that because she hasn't actually held her own classroom they won't take her as a substitute right now. Still, it might be worth checking out.

im not worried about it right now. i thought about teaching for a bit actually, and might try it later in life but im good on it now. currently i work for a really good company, one of the tops in the nation and has been for a while. as least as far as that dumb forbes list is concerned. has been top ten for the past 10 years or something. they love to promote from within too. im waiting until im done with my masters to go fulltime. im going to do the census to get some extra cash.

bob what do you currently do for money? i know you live on your own and in boston i know thats not cheap.

Bob

04-02-2010, 10:20 PM

im not going to lie i always wanted to go just so i could prove to myself i could do it and be able to call myself a lawyer because it is seen as one of those professions like a doctor like you have accomplished something in life...but im not really feeling to bad about myself for not trying now. :):rolleyes::cool:

yeah, that would be a terrible reason to go to law school. once you become a lawyer people actually expect you to be one, you've done a very wise thing by not going. i'm jealous.

Wow, that's actually something I never thought about with law school but I guess you're right. What was your undergrad in?

Well, I wish I had some better advice for you. I am in school now to taking pre-reqs to become a nurse which, I've heard, is a pretty much bulletproof profession these days. So if you have some science in your undergrad you could try that, most community colleges have programs (cheaper than university) and you could be an RN in 2-3 years. Ask Nicole about it.

nursing is a thing i was kind of vaguely looking at, yeah. i have no science at all in my degree though. i have a BA in political science (allowing me to avoid all science classes). i was a psychology major for a while but i decided that i hated it and i sucked at it so even if that counts as a science i don't think it helps me. i'm not sure what it would take to get into nursing at this point. also i don't necessarily want to be a nurse i just want a job and i figure i could put up with it. again, a bad reason to go to school but fuck i need to do something with my life

bob what do you currently do for money? i know you live on your own and in boston i know thats not cheap.

i live in a 4 bedroom apartment which saves on rent and utilities and i don't have a social life which saves on everything else so i stay afloat by spending very little. but it's starting to get to the point where i need a little more

Yetra Flam

04-02-2010, 10:41 PM

I spent four years at college to not actually use my degree at all.
I'm mostly ashamed to admit to people that I'm a professional dog groomer, but it actually pays reasonably well ($20-$25 dollars an hour on average) and it's a steady job and its really easy to find work if you dont suck at it. But it is mindless work, and frustrating and not rewarding at all.

But yeah, become a dog groomer Bob. Be like me!

ms.peachy

04-02-2010, 10:54 PM

You can be an English teacher in China.

mikizee

04-02-2010, 11:11 PM

Poor bob.

Sucks to see you can't catch a break. I realise that these are just useless words on the Internet but honestly mate if I won lotto or something I would definitely send some cash your way. Freal.

You could goto Japan and be an English teacher, a few of my mates have done that and done pretty well. And my friends are generally useless stoners.

Bob if you want a laugh goto YouTube and do a search for namasensei's Japanese lessons, it's an american drunk college student living in Osaka and he gives drunken Japanese lessons. Hilarious. You could be like him!

Bob

04-02-2010, 11:13 PM

You can be an English teacher in China.

would i have to speak chinese? or go to china? i don't really want to go to china

Kid Presentable

04-02-2010, 11:41 PM

would i have to speak chinese? or go to china? i don't really want to go to china

You should travel man, just pack up and go backpacking. If you came downunder you could crash at ours. Although I think you should do Europe. Just get a shitty job that will help you save enough money to get away.

Bob

04-02-2010, 11:47 PM

it's freakish of me, i know, but i don't really like traveling. i don't really get anything out of a change in location and it's such a logistical hassle. overrated!

Kid Presentable

04-02-2010, 11:58 PM

it's freakish of me, i know, but i don't really like traveling. i don't really get anything out of a change in location and it's such a logistical hassle. overrated!

Backpacking is more like a semi-permanent move. You at the very least need to get out of your rut, a change is as good as a holiday.

Bob

04-03-2010, 12:01 AM

i dunno. backpacking sounds kind of miserable. what if you have to take a crap?

checkyourprez

04-03-2010, 12:55 AM

i live in a 4 bedroom apartment which saves on rent and utilities and i don't have a social life which saves on everything else so i stay afloat by spending very little. but it's starting to get to the point where i need a little more

but what do you do for a living now is my question. if thats not to intrusive. do you have loans?

Kid Presentable

04-03-2010, 06:14 AM

i dunno. backpacking sounds kind of miserable. what if you have to take a crap?

It won't be your problem, you'll be backpacking

p-branez

04-06-2010, 10:50 AM

the legal profession has utterly imploded and is going to take a long time to recover, if it ever does.

do you think this is specific to the legal profession or just a reflection of the larger economic crisis? and are your peers graduating into the same boat as you?

thanks for the words - i've been thinking about going to law school basically because it's the only graduate school i'm qualified for (undergrad degree in public policy, close to political science). and i've heard the whole bit about even if i don't want to be a lawyer, having a JD will get me at least somewhere since having an undergrad degree isn't getting me anywhere. i guess i'll just sit on it unemployed for a little while longer.

and, bob - if you're at all interested, you should consider running for elected office. you might have to move back home to get to a local election, but (at least where i'm from, among state representatives, senators, city council members, county commissioners) you would be overqualified with a jd, especially one from a non-toilet law school. in a lot of local elections candidates run unopposed, the minority party can't even get anyone to run, so you could at least run, you'll just have to get a certain number of signatures. if you go to chapter of either party (like the county chapter of the democrats or *insert your county* republicans) they can give you all the information you need about running. and you can get on a pretty powerful commission - like a city planning commission - that is part time work (although it might not pay) that's engaging and a really good experience.

last fall in ann arbor, mi, a town of 110,000, a 22 year old undergrad student ran for city council and got almost 40% of the vote. he then had this pick of any other commission he wanted to be on to potentially work his way up: public art commission, budget committee, cable commission, downtown development authority, energy commission, environmental commission, etc.